OREANDA-NEWS. June 20, 2011. Transaero Airlines and Northern Capital Air Gate signed a Strategic Partnership Memorandum at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The Memorandum, signed by Transaero Airlines CEO Olga Pleshakova and Northern Capital Air Gate CEO Sergei Emdin, confirms their intentions form a strategic partnership for the development of air transport between St. Petersburg, the Russian regions and foreign countries.

According to the Memorandum, Transaero will expand its flight network and increase passenger and cargo transportation from Pulkovo International Airport, including transit traffic from South-East Asia to Europe and North America. The airline intends to open at least two new routes from St. Petersburg annually. In order to support this traffic increase, Transaero will increase the number of aircraft based at Pulkovo.

Northern Capital Air Gate will take all necessary measures to support Transaero as the base carrier at Pulkovo International Airport and will contribute to Transaero's effort in market liberalization for international air transport from St. Petersburg.

Transaero will be the key partner of Northern Capital Air Gate in building and operating a special hangar at Pulkovo for standard and wide body aircraft MRO.

Transaero Airlines and Northern Capital Air Gate will engages in joint efforts to stimulate transit passenger traffic via St. Petersburg as part of the overall strategy to develop Pulkovo as regional hub.

''Transaero's traffic volumes from Pulkovo International have increased nine times since our airline was registered in St. Petersburg six years ago. I believe this agreement will contribute in a categorical measure towards increasing Pulkovo's role as Russia's strategic transport hub. Closer partnership between Transaero and Northern Capital Air Gate will result in the development of comfortable and reliable air transport affordable to many passenger categories from Russian's Northern Capital of Russia,'' remarked Ms Pleshakova.

''This agreement is an important benchmark in the airport's development. One more step is made for Pulkovo airport to become the largest transport and transit hub in the Baltic region. I am sure that our partnership with Transaero will expand both in terms of the network of routes and the number of aircraft based at Pulkovo,'' said Northern Capital Air Gate CEO Sergei Emdin.